[ARCHIVED THREAD] - My Fathers Guns (Page 1 of 2)
Posted: 6/25/2015 11:00:43 AM EDT
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My father passed last week, at 84, he had insisted on coming home from the hospital. He had lived a full life, suffered greatly without a single complaint. The only thing he asked was to come home, and be left in peace, no hospital, no longer being poked, prodded and awoken every hour. No more being kept alive by tubes and machines.
He was the kind of man who " did things", worked with his hands, made things and fixed things, never watched a TV show in his life. Lying in bed wasn't going to work for him. He passed peacefully, having spent his last night on earth surrounded by family, grandchildren playing in the back ground. An Annapolis graduate ( Class of 55), he was laid to rest at the Florida National Cemetery compliments of the VA, a Captain with a Trident on his chest sent him off in fine style, it couldn't have been better. He was an Engineer, a 35 year career with Martin Marietta( Now Lockheed/Martin), he worked in their micro-electronics lab, designing guidance systems, he worked on Pershing, Walleye, Patriot, Copperhead and Apollo among others. He and his group were " smart bomb" pioneers. He was a practical guy, planned for the future the best he could, and raised three sons to be hardworking, honest fellows. So the time has come to decide who gets what. My brothers are reasonable, secure men who have done well for themselves, there will be no shrill demands or scrabbling arguments for Dads worldly possessions. Our main concern is to see our mother properly cared for. A few things she wanted us to have though, among them, his small handful of guns. There were four long gums, and my brothers were gracious enough to let me hang onto the " Family Gun"'; his M1 carbine He had several hundred rounds of ammo for it as well, he was ready to make his stand, if need be. One of my brothers took the Nylon 66 and a brick of .federal Lightning, the other a Winchester Model 50 12 gauge and a case of birdshot. The carbine was bought through the NRA $25 program in the early '60's. I still have the original shipping box. It has been my grail gun since I was a small boy. It came home with me this weekend. 
ETA:WTF photobucket?! pictures were upside down from my iphone to photobucket, edited them to get them squared away, now they're sideways here? 
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Others have offered their condolences, so allow me to offer my gratitude.
I'm thankful for your father, for having lived life as a free man and working to provide for his family throughout his long life. I'm thankful that he offered an example of how to conduct one's self, even unto death. I'm thankful that he raised sons to be like him. I'm thankful to you and your brothers, for preserving the memory of what you have described as a great and humble man. Finally, I'm thankful to you for sharing your father's legacy with us. Know that doing so has caused at least one young father to pause for a moment and gain new perspective. |
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Quoted: He was an Engineer, a 35 year career with Martin Marietta( Now Lockheed/Martin), he worked in their micro-electronics lab, designing guidance systems, he worked on Pershing, Walleye, Patriot, Copperhead and Apollo among others. He and his group were " smart bomb" pioneers. As one who benefited greatly from your Father's work...., I offer the following salute that is most appropriate to honor the life of an Annapolis grad. BRAVO ZULU! 
Well Done. D. Mark U.S. Army (Ret) |
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Quoted:
Others have offered their condolences, so allow me to offer my gratitude. I'm thankful for your father, for having lived life as a fee man and working to provide for his family throughout his long life. I'm thankful that he offered an example of how to conduct one's self, even unto death. I'm thankful that he raised sons to be like him. I'm thankful to you and your brothers, for preserving the memory of what you have described as a great and humble man. Finally, I'm thankful to you for sharing your father's legacy with us. Know that doing so has caused at least one young father to pause for a moment and gain new perspective. It's been said well several times. This says it perfectly. Thanks, OP. |
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Quoted:
Others have offered their condolences, so allow me to offer my gratitude. I'm thankful for your father, for having lived life as a free man and working to provide for his family throughout his long life. I'm thankful that he offered an example of how to conduct one's self, even unto death. I'm thankful that he raised sons to be like him. I'm thankful to you and your brothers, for preserving the memory of what you have described as a great and humble man. Finally, I'm thankful to you for sharing your father's legacy with us. Know that doing so has caused at least one young father to pause for a moment and gain new perspective. The feels. 
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Quoted:
Others have offered their condolences, so allow me to offer my gratitude. I'm thankful for your father, for having lived life as a free man and working to provide for his family throughout his long life. I'm thankful that he offered an example of how to conduct one's self, even unto death. I'm thankful that he raised sons to be like him. I'm thankful to you and your brothers, for preserving the memory of what you have described as a great and humble man. Finally, I'm thankful to you for sharing your father's legacy with us. Know that doing so has caused at least one young father to pause for a moment and gain new perspective. I will second this and add that I can't think of any better way to checkout then being at home with family or doing what you loved. |
Thanks for all the kind and thoughtful replies.
I also ended up with both the Winchester .22's in this photo, held by my fathers parents. 
Now if we could just find his pistols. he hid them so well he couldn't remember himself where they were. A pair of S & W .38's, one four inch, one snubby....
ETA: the photo was from a slide, and is backwards, the guns are not lefties. |
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I'm sorry for you loss. I feel your pain too. My paternal Grandpa passed away a couple weeks ago. I no longer have grandfathers. It's a humbling feeling.
I wonder if our Grandfather's my grandfather and your father ever worked together. My Grandfather served in the Navy and then went on to get a masters from Georgia Tech in electrical engineering. He spent the rest of his life in civil service and also working on various secret projects including the Patriot. He died when he was 61 from a stroke but would have been the same age as your grandfather if he were still alive. This world just keeps getting smaller. |
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I would like give my condolences to you and your family. I would also give a thanks to your father for saving a lot of peoples lives when then Iraqi Scud missiles were flying at us at the beginning of the invasion and the Patriots were shooting them down! Semper Fi |
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May your father rest in peace. I'm sorry for your loss. It sounds like he was loved, lived to see his children become successful adults, and passed peacefully on his own terms.
That M1 Carbine is a fantastic family heirloom. From the first few digits of the S/N, I would guess that it is an Inland. Does the barrel match? It should say 'Inland Division of General Motors' or something to that effect, along with a date code. I know that your front band (the part with the bayonet lug) was made by International Silver. The 'MR' stamp on your stock means it went through the Mount Rainier Arsenal for a rebuild (or at least an inspection) at some point in time. It may have received that stock there, as it looks like an M2 stock. The finish on the metal and the stock looks pristine. I hope a Carbine expert comes along, as I'm more of a Garand guy, but I do have an Inland and an IBM in my collection. That rifle needs to be passed down to your children as a historic and family artifact. Make sure you keep the box and any papers in it. I'm happy for you in that you were able to inherit the rifle you wanted. |